Billy Horschel beats Rory McIlroy in Wentworth play-off to claim dramatic win

Horschel McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence had finished tied on 20 under par.

Billy Horschel (right) beat Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win the BMW PGA Championship (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

Billy Horschel defeated Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win his second BMW PGA Championship title in four years on a dramatic final day at Wentworth.

Horschel eagled the second extra hole to win the DP World Tour’s flagship event after he, McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence had finished tied on 20 under par.

Lawrence was eliminated on the first extra hole after seeing his third shot spin back off the green and into the water, with McIlroy and Horschel both making birdie.

The players returned to the par-five 18th for the second extra hole and both found the green in two, McIlroy narrowly missing his eagle attempt before Horschel holed from marginally closer.

Lawrence had set the clubhouse target following a superb closing 65, although the South African would ultimately be left to rue failing to birdie either of the two closing par fives.

That left the door open for the chasing pack and McIlroy looked set to take full advantage when he holed from 45 feet for an eagle on the 17th and saw his approach to the 18th narrowly avoid the water to the left of the green.

However, after a poor chip McIlroy’s birdie attempt from 15 feet never threatened the hole and Horschel – whose third shot almost span back into the hole for what would have been a winning eagle – holed out for birdie to make it a three-way play-off.